THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Beyond the Jordan at the Sea of Galilee. Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19
- Chapter 260 -
The Lord and His followers visit a village in the mountains.
After a few hours' journey we reached the hidden settlement which, like many others, had no name. The Jews as well as the Greeks often did not name their settlements so that they could not be found so easily by the Romans and the tetrarchs because of taxation; for once such a village was found, described and given a name, it was also eligible to pay tribute.
2
But besides this there was another reason for the so frequent occurrence of no-name small villages, and that was this: Among the Romans it was usual, because of the faster and easier colonization and cultivation of the infertile and barren areas, that a new colony along with its newly-built village would remain untaxed for twenty, thirty, forty up to fifty years, according to how long one or other village needed for its full cultivation. Well, the Jews and Greeks, who never were particular friends of taxes, knew very well how to exploit this humane Roman law for their own good, no one will have any doubt in that. Therefore they gave a newly-built village no name and if they were ever asked by any Roman commissar, the village was only ten years old, if he had already more than a half a century behind it. Then the village inspected by the commissar received a number, but no name; and only beginning from this point in time was the new village taxable after the end of the legal period and it received a name.
3
And thus this small place which we had just reached was a nameless, but for that still tax-free village. This situation often suited us very well; since the inhabitants of such a new or even better untaxed village were much friendlier and accessible. And so it was once again the case here. We arrived just as the sun was going down on the day before the Sabbath in this truly very hidden village.
4
But the village lay in a high mountain valley which was very fruitful and particularly suitable for raising cattle; but that was only on one side, and even there very inaccessible. People who tend towards dizziness would hardly dare to head over these steep paths. The valley itself lay according to the present measures over four thousand feet above sea level, which is certainly not saying much in Asia, because there were and still are inhabited villages at much higher altitudes.
5
When we thus arrived in this village, immediately several inhabitants saw us and quickly called their eldest and chief, so that he should come and check us out, why we had come there. The chief, an already grey haired Jew, was immediately at hand, looked at us and then asked us what we wanted there, and what had forced us to climb to this village so cut off from the entire world.
6
But I said to him, "Peace be with you and with this whole, truly not insignificant village. The kingdom of God has come close, which you plain and simple people will learn to see well enough during My rest that I will take with you! But for now I ask you whether we cannot have shelter with you for a short time?"
7
The chief spoke: "You are no evil people that I worked out at the first glance; but you are some adventurers, yet that does not matter, and so you can indeed find shelter under my roof. But you must tell me very much about what is happening in the world; for I have not got away from this place for almost twenty years into the wicked world, and thus know as little as nothing about it! Also the inhabitants of this village go only from time to time to the next little village or area of Nahim for salt, which we do not have here. But we have not been in Jerusalem for almost twenty years, although we are strict Jews. For there was nothing then but lies, deception, domineeringness and the very worst arrogance from the temple down through all the layers of society. How do things look there now?
8
I as a genuine Jew moved here for that reason out of true love for God with some others who were like-minded, and we gave God, the only Lord, an indeed free, but as pure as possible, faithfully devoted community, and He has blessed us very richly for it.
9
You are also Jews and will trust your great part of salvation for the soul in the temple in Jerusalem? But you were never scribes and servants of the temple and can therefore have no idea of what terrible cheek, disgusting to ever better human mind, takes place there with the holy rights of man inside the holy walls! That made me and several of my friends indignant! We searched and found this valley in which we immediately found the necessary nourishment.
10
With time we built here these very cozy houses and now we live very comfortably and peacefully together and always give God alone the honor. I ask you only one thing, that you do not betray us to anyone on your return to the world! Otherwise you are our very welcome guests. Now let us go to my house which is certainly more pleasing to the Lord God than Solomon's temple in Jerusalem. In the house over a good meal we will discuss some things and you shall get to know us well then!"